Church
Apologizes Over Aids Stigma
 17
Mar 2006- The Anglican Church in Kenya has apologized to AIDS patients for
its role in discrimination of the patients.
Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, who apologized on behalf of the church said
that the church’s earlier approach of shunning Aids patients stemmed
from ignorance.
“As a church, our earlier approach in fighting Aids was misplaced since
we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God," he said in
Nairobi yesterday. "We apologise for earlier abandoning our flock, which
was as a result of our ignorance of the disease, but today we are more
informed."
Archbishop Nzimbi was speaking at a workshop for Christian and Muslim
leaders. Participants at the workshop, who came from several African
countries, unanimously agreed tofight the stigma by speaking about the
disease openly.
Uganda’s canon Gideon Byagumisha said that stigma and discrimination
would only be eliminated by giving proper information to the society.
Canon Byamugisha , who has lived with the disease for 19 years,
challenged church and political leaders to be open about their HIV
status saying it would help to reduce the stigma.
Canon Byamugisha urged world leaders to find the reason why 90 per cent
of AIDS patients were from black Africa.
"Is it because we are more sexually promiscuous than people in other
parts of the world? The answer is No," he said.
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